2011 Recap: Fascinating Food Events

We're taking a look back at the year in the food, from Gordon Ramsay's meeting with a gun to a white Coca-Cola can that caused outrage.

From Gordon Ramsay's meeting with a gun to a white Coca-Cola can that caused outrage, we're taking a look back at some of the memorable food events we covered in 2011. What do you think was the biggest food headline of the year?
For the latest food news coverage, read our blog, Food In the News.

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Courtesy of Gordon Ramsay

Gordon Ramsay Held at Gun Point

Gordan Ramsay didn't have a great start in 2011. While on a filming expedition in Costa Rica, he and his film crew were held at gunpoint and soaked with gasoline by angry fishermen who hoped to stop the group from going public with footage of the area's illicit shark-fin trade. Luckily, everyone got away without getting hurt.

This isn't Land of the Lost, it's Land of the Libation. A group of archeologists discovered a winery in an Armenian cave that was active circa 4,000 B.C. Among the things they found, according to The New York Times: A "vat for fermenting, a press, storage jars, a clay bowl, and a drinking cup made from an animal horn."

In February, we reported on the Heart & Soul Café, a restaurant near Phoenix, AZ, that serves a massive breakfast. Just how massive? The dish, called "The Famous Suicide Stack," has four types of meat, two types of gravy, carbs, eggs, and cheese, and it weighs in at more than 15 pounds!

Perhaps your doctor has warned you that too much butter could kill you, but we're sure he never imagined anything like this. A Sicilian couple allegedly used butter to suffocate the woman's ex-husband, believing it would melt before an autopsy was performed.

How about a side of fries with your "I do"? In Hong Kong that's actually possible thanks to McDonald's licensed McWeddings. One package includes food and drinks for 50, a "wedding cake" made of stacked apple pies, and invitation cards.

You many prefer to forget Charlie Sheen's news-making activities in 2011, but one milk producer is sure to remember his antics somewhat fondly. While gunning to amass more than 1 million Twitter followers (he ultimately did), Sheen tweeted "Winning..! Choose your Vice," with a photo of him holding up a bottle of chocolate milk. The milk's producer, Ray Broguiere, told TMZ that his dairy farm was "inundated with phone calls from curious customers following Charlie's inaugural tweet." Boroguiere told TMZ, "I'd never be able to afford this kind of publicity."

After Ben & Jerry's announced it teamed up with late-night talk show host Jimmy Fallon to produce "Late Night Snack," Stephen Colbert got riled up. The host, who also has a Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor — called "Americone Dream" — announced on his show, "Fallon, there's only room for one ice cream flavor in late night." Fallon then made a surprise guest appearance and the two traded ice cream insults before engaging in a brain-freeze-inducing eating contest.

Did it really count as a Lenten sacrifice? J. Wilson, a beer blogger and editor of the weekly Adams County Free Press, announced last year that he had given up food for Lent, opting instead for a 46-day beer-only diet. His goal? To show that "back in the Middle Ages — and far beyond that — the Church and beer were very linked."

Sure, in the months leading up to the Royal wedding, lots of people wondered what Kate Middleton's dress would look like. But some people had more important curiosities, like what food would they choose. In late March, the palace announced that Will and Kate would celebrate their nuptials with two cakes: a traditional multi-tiered fruit cake (pictured) and a chocolate biscuit cake.

Holy pizza! An Australian man got a big surprise when he pulled a pizza from the oven and saw a recognizable image: Jesus. He eventually put the vacuum-packed pie up for auction on eBay, promising to donate the proceeds to charity. The Cheesus Pizza received 26 bids and ultimately went for $153 Australian (about $160 US.)

After financial swindler Bernie Madoff was convicted, many of his possessions were put up for auction, including a 12-bottle case of 1996 Château Mouton-Rothschild, Smirnoff Vodka, Grand Marnier liqueur, and an assortment mid-range wine and spirits. Proceeds of the sale were earmarked to compensate victims of Madoff's $65 billion ponzi scheme.

The Egyptian pyramids have survived for thousands and thousands of years, but the USDA's MyPyramid met its end last year. The USDA replaced its famous pyramid with MyPlate, which is meant to inspire the public and actively lead people to make the correct eating choices, particularly in supermarkets and restaurants.

At the 96th annual Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest, in Coney Island, NY, Joey "Jaws" Chestnut once again took first place, downing 54 hot dogs. But across the river on a Manhattan rooftop bar, Chestnut's usual competitor, Takeru Kobayashi — who was banned from the contest due to "contract disputes" — held his own contest against a live stream of the event at Coney Island. He reportedly ingested 69 hot dogs.

A Pennsylvania restaurant made headlines when it banned children under six years old. Mike Vuick, the owner of McDain's Restaurant in Monroeville, PA, reportedly told a local TV station that bringing loud children to a restaurant is "the height of being impolite and selfish, and therefore, I instituted a policy."

When items from Rosa Parks' estate went up for auction, a handwritten recipe for "featherlite pancakes" was included. The recipe was written on the back of an envelope from the 1st National Bank of Detroit, and it included melted peanut butter in the ingredients list.

Oscar Mayer (owned by Kraft Foods) and Ball Park (owned by Sara Lee), the USA's two biggest hot dog brands, squared off in court in a trial to decide once and for all which frank is frankest. Each company sued the other over a number of false advertising claims.

Reports that Kim Kardashian chose a $20,000 wedding cake for her nuptials made headlines in the days leading up to her wedding with Kris Humphries. The cake was designed by Los Angeles' Hansen's Cakes. It was a 10-tier white cake with chocolate-chip frosting. Unfortunately the marriage didn't make it to 2012, but we wonder if there's still a frozen top tier stashed in a freezer somewhere.

Stock broker Martin Kessman, who weighed 290 pounds in September, filed a lawsuit against White Castle, charging that the restaurant's booths are too small for men his size. He claimed his local White Castle violates the Americans With Disabilities Act because seating doesn't accommodate people who with similar weights.

Ketchup dippers and squeezers unite! Heinz discovered a way to appease both crowds with its new Heinz Dip & Squeeze. After launching its revolutionary new packaging in restaurants in March, Heinz brought the "dual-function" individual packets to supermarket shelves later in the year.

Umewaka Restaurant in Anjo City, Japan, added a stunning new roll to its menu: the "Generous Roll," which weighs more than 13 pounds. You must make a reservation two days in advance to consume the roll. It costs 15,000 yen (approximately $197).

When Ben & Jerry's announced its new flavor, Schweddy Balls — a tribute to a 1998 Saturday Night Live sketch featuring Alec Baldwin, Ana Gasteyer, and Molly Shannon — it received praise and backlash. Some people enjoyed the play off of a beloved sketch, while others found the name in poor taste. Some stores, including Massachusetts-based Stop & Shop, decided not to carry the innuendo-laced rum ball ice cream.

Justice Antonin Scalia shocked the crowd at a Chicago-Kent School of Law event when he said deep-dish pizza "should not be called 'pizza.' It should be called 'a tomato pie.' Real pizza is Neapolitan [from Naples, Italy]. It is thin. It is chewy and crispy, OK?"

A Congress-approved spending bill put the brakes on some of the measures the Obama administration hoped would make school lunch programs healthier. A component of the bill that is often cited: It allows tomato paste on pizza to be counted as a "vegetable" and prevents more readily available vegetables for kids.

MMMHop? That's the name of the new India Pale Ale musical group Hanson is developing for release in early 2012. Will Hanson's former fans, most of whom are now old enough to drink, buy the beer? Only time will tell.

A Vegas Chatter writer shared his rage that Border Grill at Mandalay Bay charges a fifty-center water fee. The restaurant responded that the fee covers the Natura water purification system it uses. "Unless you request no water, we will pour unlimited still or sparkling water for every guest at .50 per person," the restaurant said in a released response.

Coca-Cola created special silver and white–colored polar bear cans to highlight its partnership with the World Wildlife Fund and their commitment to donate up to $3 million to protect the polar bear's natural habitat. But consumers quickly rejected the change. Many Diet Coke drinkers mistakenly bought the cans because the colors are similar to those on the Diet Coke can. In response, Coca-Cola announced that it would roll out new red cans with the Polar bear images on them.

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